Donald Penn Gaines of Campbellsville, age 78, son of the late Lee Gaines and Lorena Russell Gaines, was born April 16, 1939, in Taylor County, KY. He died on Thursday, October 5, 2017.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, Arthur “A.R.” Russell Gaines and his wife, Betty Ann and a step-daughter, Deidre Beene.
He joined the Kentucky National Guard while still in high school and served for eight years. He attended Falls Business College in Nashville, Tennessee and after coming back to Campbellsville, worked at Citizens Bank. He later started working at Production Credit. He appraised real estate for First Federal Bank (now Community Trust Bank) for more than thirty years and also served on their Board for twenty-one years. He also served as City Clerk from 1980-1990. He has built and sold more than forty houses.
Donald was a member of the Elk Horn Masonic Lodge #568 F & AM and was also active in the Shriners. He served on the Taylor County Conservation District Board for thirty-seven years and also served two terms as a Commissioner in the Kentucky Soil and Water Conservation Commission from 1997-2005. He was a member of Fairview Baptist Church in Mannsville.
Donald’s passion for farming has existed for as long as he can remember. He has owned and operated farms in Taylor, Adair, Green, Clinton and Casey Counties and his farm enterprises included tobacco, corn, soybeans and beef cattle.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Carolyn; daughter, Delia Williams (Doug); one step-daughter, Stephanie Turner Kearney (Michael) of Grosbeck, Texas; five step-grandchildren: Kevin Williams (Jen), Alex Williams, (Bethany), Alex Beene, Allison Kearney and Jordan Kearney; one step-son-in-law, Anthony Beene; one brother and one sister: David Gaines (Betty Sue) of Frankfort and Margaret Fain (Bernard) of Campbellsville.
He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews and friends.
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VISITATION: 5:00 - 8:00pmET, Saturday, October 7, 2017 at Parrott & Ramsey Funeral Home
FUNERAL SERVICE: 2:00pmET, Sunday, October 8, 2017 at Parrott & Ramsey Funeral Home in Campbellsville by Rev. Don Gowin
BURIAL: Brookside Cemetery
EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY ARE REQUESTED TO BE DONATIONS TO GIDEON BIBLES AND MAY BE MADE AT PARROTT & RAMSEY FUNERAL HOME.
